Message from the Artistic Director about Cabaret

When it comes to Cabaret, I hardly know where to begin. This musical has been a part of my life for twenty years, and it's probably impossible to fully describe how important it has been to me personally and to this theatre.

It's really Joe Masteroff, Cabaret's librettist, who set Roundabout on our journey with this production. When we were doing our very first musical in 1993, She Loves Me, for which Joe also wrote the book, he kept telling me that I had to get myself to London to see what some young director was doing with Cabaret at the Donmar Warehouse . Joe was so insistent that I hopped on a plane and soon found myself witness to a new vision of an already-brilliant musical that utterly blew me away. It was my first encounter with the work of Sam Mendes and his incomparable leading man, Alan Cumming, and I was hooked. There was no question that I wanted to bring this show to Roundabout.

The ups and downs of getting this Cabaret to Broadway could fill a book. Along the way we gained choreographer and co-director Rob Marshall and the stunning Natasha Richardson as the iconic "Sally Bowles"; we found and lost several potential performance spaces; and eventually we made our way to a home at Studio 54 and a Tony-winning run of over two thousand performances. It is one of the most artistically fulfilling shows I've had the privilege of sharing with audiences in my career, and even when we closed in 2004, something told me that it wasn't over yet.

Sam and Rob's Cabaret is one of those theatrical experiences that truly needs to be seen live on stage. That's how seminal and how vibrant it is. A great novel will forever be preserved in its original form on the page, and a great painting can be visited as the artist wanted it to be seen on the wall of a museum. But theatre is very much of the here and now, and I honestly believe that, when it comes to the masterpieces, each generation should have the chance to see the best with their very own eyes. That's why I had to bring back this production. I wanted to give a new audience the chance to hear John Kander and Fred Ebb's score live, to see Alan's unforgettable Emcee for themselves, to sit in Robert Brill's immersive Kit Kat Klub, and to be swept away anew with an incredible Broadway debut from Michelle Williams.

For those coming back to Cabaret with us, I know you are as eager to revisit this world as I am. And to those who will be experiencing it for the first time, all I can say is that you are in for something magical, and to you I echo the very first word sung by Alan Cumming's Emcee:Wilkommen!

As always, I hope that you will share your thoughts with me by emailingartisticoffice@roundabouttheatre.org. Whether you have memories of seeing this production before or have feedback on this revival, I am eager to hear it all.

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Roundabout Theatre Company is a not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing a nurturing artistic home for theatre artists at all stages of their careers where the widest possible audience can experience their work at affordable prices. Roundabout fulfills its mission each season through the revival of classic plays and musicals; development and production of new works by established playwrights and emerging writers; educational initiatives that enrich the lives of children and adults; and a subscription model and audience outreach programs that cultivate loyal audiences.